EPICS

Epic
• Long narrative poem
• Adventures of
legendary hero
• The hero’s
accomplishments
reflect the values of
his/her culture
Elements of the Epic

Epic Hero
Heroic Quest
Valorous Deeds
Divine Intervention
Great Events
 Epic Hero
• Larger-than-life
• Typically Noble
• Courageous, Skilled
• Virtuous, Good
• Fights Evil
 Heroic Quest

• Long, Dangerous
Journey
• Proves Heroism
• Wins Honor and
Renown
• Aids Others
Valorous Deeds

• Demonstrate
Hero’s Courage,
Strength, or Virtue
• Make up most of
the Action
• Battles Evil
Forces
• Saves
Others
 Divine Intervention

• Hero receives Help: God/Supernatural Force

takes interest in Hero’s Quest
 Great Events
• Historical/Mythological events
as Backdrop for Epic
• E.g.: The Iliad, Trojan War
 Folk Epics
• Oral Tradition
• Written down long after first composed
• Examples:
– Beowulf (Anglo-Saxon
– Gilgamesh (Sumerian)
Literary Epics
• Written by individual authors
• Examples:
– Iliad and Odyssey by Homer
– Aeneid by Virgil
– Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
– Paradise Lost by John Milton
 Epic Conventions
• Shared Literary Characteristics
• An Epic Usually…
– States subject/purpose
– Muse helps tell story
– Plot begins in middle
– Serious tone
– Long speeches
– Lists of battles, weapons, royal gifts